On the Anniversary of First Episode, ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ Is Nominated for Tony Award

On May 1, 1999, the beloved sponge under the sea made his debut on Nickelodeon, capturing the nationwide attention of children with short attention spans. ‘Spongebob Squarepants,’ an animated show centered on the antics of a quirky sea-sponge with a job at the local burger joint, has aired a total of 246 episodes in the last nineteen years. ‘Spongebob’ has collected a number of spin-offs, including a movie on the big screen, and most recently, a Broadway musical.

May 1, 1999 First episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, named “Help Wanted”. pic.twitter.com/0k83C3GLQD

— Ｈｉｓｔｏｒｙ (@HistoryTime_) May 1, 2018

‘Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical’ was nominated for a Tony in twelve categories, tying for most nominations with ‘Mean Girls: The Musical,’ and proving that 90’s nostalgia is taking over. The ‘Spongebob’ musical has received attention for its “bright, technical achievements” and for being both visually and audibly stimulating. According to the New York Times, ‘Spongebob’ has been nominated for a Tony for the following:

1. Best Musical
2. Best Book of a Musical
3. Best Original Score
4. Best Lead Actor in a Play: Ethan Slater
5. Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Gavin Lee
6. Best Scenic Design of a Musical: David Zinn
7. Best Costume Design of a Musical: David Zinn
8. Best Lighting Design of a Muscial: Kevin Adams
9. Best Direction of a Musical: Tina Landau
10. Best Choreography: Christopher Gattelli
11. Best Orchestrations: Tom Kitt
12. Best Sound Design in a Musical: Walter Trarbach and Mike Dobson

In his “SpongeBob SquarePants” review, @TheJoeDShow says it “delighted with catchy songs, Crayola-bright visuals, goofy humor, not-so-silly messages and lots of heart.” https://t.co/9Q2gHbXZoV pic.twitter.com/3hJRaTH8Nr

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 1, 2018

Congratulations to our pineapple-dwelling friend and his team of creators, animators, directors, and actors!